Skimbleshanks
Well-Known Member
I went out shooting today and was really happy with the results. 12 rounds and I was done.
I took my newest rifle, my 7 mag out. I also grabbed my 338WSM but brought the wrong ammo so didn't shoot ot because that stuff is HOTT! and needs broken down.
Rifle
The rifle was built by Whidden Gunworks out of Nashville GA. And most of the parts were sourced here in the classifieds. It is a trued stainless Remington 700 LA with a Shillen select match barrel 1:8 twist with a heavy palma contour finished at 24". Fluting done by Whidden. A ptg bolt and Gre-tan striker, Trigger Tech trigger, bdl magazine, and McMillan hunter stock round out the rifle. Super comfortable stock by the way. I went with a Leopold 0 moa picatinny rail and Nightforce rings because both items were in stock when I needed them. I filled those rings with a Leupold VX5-HD 3-15x44 CDS-ZL2.
Load
I remember my motivation for developing this load. Get the rifle shooting. And safely. So I averaged 3 manuals and took the center number for powder charge of H4831 and picked a number that looked good for bullet jump on the 168 Berger hvld. .040-.060" seems to come to mind. I wanted to make "factory" ammo. I did so diligently however weighing each powder charge like I typically do. I didn't chrono the load due to time but 30 years of being a rifle loony I mathed and kind of guessed 2770fps. Oh I loaded it all into 40 pieces of once fired Winchester brass... from a different rifle. I cleaned, sized, and trimmed it to length.
This shouldn't be ammo to write home about
.
Time out with it
I shot this rifle a handful of times. The ammo functioned from the magazine, zeroed quick, and I figured would work fine for hunting. I setteled on a 2.5" high at 100 zero so I could hold fur to almost 300 and hit vitals. I got an opportunity on a buck at about 100 yards and took it. The buck dropped. I spined him because I didn't take into account the different zero technique with this rifle. I typically zero dead on at 100. I might have made an excited shot too as I thought I blew it with this buck 5 minutes before I shot him. So mistakes were made.
Todays results
Went out today to just have some fun and see if I could make some hits and start gathering more data farther out. After 6 shots at 100 I was hitting the center very well. I decided to go for my gong at 420 yards. I opened the Shooter app to get a rough estimate on elevation. 7.3 moa up. I gave it 7.25 and got setteled. Bang, recover, gong swings, then, tink. A hit. ****
. Can I do it again? 2 more times infact. So happy that I'm getting some indication that its coming together. I let the barrel cool a bit and look over at a rock outcrop bit farther out and wonder. I decide to range it. Its at 729. While I'm ranging it I notice a round spot on it. I check with my scope and bless their heart, somebody left a gong hanging from it. Looks small. Probably 6 or 8 inch. I check my phone, 17.8moa. 17.75moa and I let one go. It's a hit! I repeat that 2 more times.
I packed up after that. Stopped to pick up my gong on the drive out. I measured the hits at home. 1 3/4" at 420 yards. Ill take it.
3 for 3 at 420 and 3 for 3 at 729 with minimal work. I just WAGd some of this rifle/ammo setup and stumbled onto something that looks like its working REALLY well. Today it felt easy.
I took my newest rifle, my 7 mag out. I also grabbed my 338WSM but brought the wrong ammo so didn't shoot ot because that stuff is HOTT! and needs broken down.
Rifle
The rifle was built by Whidden Gunworks out of Nashville GA. And most of the parts were sourced here in the classifieds. It is a trued stainless Remington 700 LA with a Shillen select match barrel 1:8 twist with a heavy palma contour finished at 24". Fluting done by Whidden. A ptg bolt and Gre-tan striker, Trigger Tech trigger, bdl magazine, and McMillan hunter stock round out the rifle. Super comfortable stock by the way. I went with a Leopold 0 moa picatinny rail and Nightforce rings because both items were in stock when I needed them. I filled those rings with a Leupold VX5-HD 3-15x44 CDS-ZL2.
Load
I remember my motivation for developing this load. Get the rifle shooting. And safely. So I averaged 3 manuals and took the center number for powder charge of H4831 and picked a number that looked good for bullet jump on the 168 Berger hvld. .040-.060" seems to come to mind. I wanted to make "factory" ammo. I did so diligently however weighing each powder charge like I typically do. I didn't chrono the load due to time but 30 years of being a rifle loony I mathed and kind of guessed 2770fps. Oh I loaded it all into 40 pieces of once fired Winchester brass... from a different rifle. I cleaned, sized, and trimmed it to length.
This shouldn't be ammo to write home about
.Time out with it
I shot this rifle a handful of times. The ammo functioned from the magazine, zeroed quick, and I figured would work fine for hunting. I setteled on a 2.5" high at 100 zero so I could hold fur to almost 300 and hit vitals. I got an opportunity on a buck at about 100 yards and took it. The buck dropped. I spined him because I didn't take into account the different zero technique with this rifle. I typically zero dead on at 100. I might have made an excited shot too as I thought I blew it with this buck 5 minutes before I shot him. So mistakes were made.
Todays results
Went out today to just have some fun and see if I could make some hits and start gathering more data farther out. After 6 shots at 100 I was hitting the center very well. I decided to go for my gong at 420 yards. I opened the Shooter app to get a rough estimate on elevation. 7.3 moa up. I gave it 7.25 and got setteled. Bang, recover, gong swings, then, tink. A hit. ****
. Can I do it again? 2 more times infact. So happy that I'm getting some indication that its coming together. I let the barrel cool a bit and look over at a rock outcrop bit farther out and wonder. I decide to range it. Its at 729. While I'm ranging it I notice a round spot on it. I check with my scope and bless their heart, somebody left a gong hanging from it. Looks small. Probably 6 or 8 inch. I check my phone, 17.8moa. 17.75moa and I let one go. It's a hit! I repeat that 2 more times. I packed up after that. Stopped to pick up my gong on the drive out. I measured the hits at home. 1 3/4" at 420 yards. Ill take it.
3 for 3 at 420 and 3 for 3 at 729 with minimal work. I just WAGd some of this rifle/ammo setup and stumbled onto something that looks like its working REALLY well. Today it felt easy.
